The Story Of Zarabelle, Rogue's Little Sister
by Lexi'sMommy16
Summary: Rogue is at Xavier's school of Gifted Youngsters, so of course she has no clue she has a little half sister. Zarabelle needs someone... but who will help a mutant child? *Rated M for future chapters*
1. Prelude: Before Everything Went To Hades

**Prelude**

**July 14, 1995**

"Happy birthday, Zarabelle," Mom said, kissing my forehead.

"How's the birthday girl?" Daddy asked, bringing the camera up to his face and snapping a picture.

"Fine Daddy, can we go to the zoo today?" my five year old voice squeaked while Mom brushed my hair into my favorite doo...doggy ears.

"Oh... I suppose we can do that" Daddy replied, dragging the "o" out as if he were unsure.

It's my birthday. I finally have achieved the age of five. My blonde hair is finally starting to darken, and my blue eyes are starting to settle into the wonderful grass green like my mother and father's.

Things are simple for me, the female human. Simple and fun, just like things should be, yet little am I aware that things are going to go from simple and fun to hard and life-threatening.

I was soon to find out.

After this wonderful and splendid day at the zoo full of cotton candy and silly monkeys, I would never see my parents again. I would begin to question and lose everything that I held near and that I loved.


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginning

_**Author's Note: Sorry I have been late uploading the next chapter. Things are a little crazy right now. I don't have a beta so I am relying on my own editing skills. This story was originally intended for a sequel to my friend's own book she has published, **_**Cursed**_**, which I edited for her. But I figured it'd be good for a Rogue/ X-Men fan fic. Please enjoy and review. **___

Chapter 1

July 14-present day

"Come on Zarabell! You're gonna make us late," shouted Dallas.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Hold your britches D" Ugh! My birthday-the one day that I hate out of the whole freaking year- and this stupid idiot wants to take me out to a party! Nothing good is going to come out of this. Nothing good ever comes out of the day of my birth.

"What's taking so lon-" well, that goes to show just how stupid Dallas is, he sent his 'friend' up here to check on me, a non-mutant human at that!

_This i__s the fool that is going to 'sneak' us into the party? _I thought.

Yeah, sure, the guy had more experience than both me and D at sneaking 'under-agers' into parties. Though seeing him stare at me like a starving dog drooling over a steak, it worried me. And the dude was literally drooling; _**EW!**_

"Um… Hey, my name's Andy," the guy said, when he finally found his voice. He extended his hand toward me, in a kind gesture for a hand shake, the normal meeting way.

If I hadn't twelve years of experience under my belt to figure it out, I would have touched him, but I know what happens. Like most of my kind, I'm… shall we say "gifted"? But my "gift was more than bones poking through my skin or being able to fly… When I touch a human, weird and unusual things happen. I mean, I can touch some humans, the ones that aren't 'normal' humans (have the mutant gene but aren't showing it yet; like Dallas, I can touch him, but prefer not to. If I did, I probably wouldn't let him go.

"Nice to meet you," I said, walking past him, giving the space between us a good foot or so. Coming downstairs, I find D lounging on my couch, arms crossed behind his head, dirty muddy boots splayed all across my pillows that matched the couch perfectly in all its glorious blackness.

"Are we going or not?" D asked me; I hadn't spoken a word, or made a sound, and yet he sensed me… _creepy_.

"Yeah, just one last thing to grab; also, if you wish to continue walking on your own two feet, remove them from my couch… **Now**." I've never seen a him move so fast before, even for a Gifted.

Walking to the book shelf, I pulled the black covered book, with gold inscription, the book case descended to my feet, then all of my beautiful treasures twinkled at me, as if saying '_choose me, choose me!_'.

"Tell your friend to stop gawking at me, shut his mouth, and take a bath. He reeks of envy," _And no one s__hould envy me, especially not a normal __human _I thought as a pulled my gold plated, sapphire, ruby, and diamond crested daggers from their wall mounts and slid them into their rightful place at my hips.

Walking over to the other adjoining book case, I pulled the white and silver inscripted book, the other book shelf slid back up into place, concealing all my wonderful weapons.

"Ready. Are you?" I asked, walking over to the boys. I smiled. _Tonight is going to be interestingly fun._


	3. Chapter 2: Realizations

***A little author's note: Zarabelle's powers are invisibility, freeze frame, and memory snatcher. She doesn't realize until later in the story that she has anything other than her memory snatcher ability. And freeze frame means she can freeze or slow down reality. She is a seriously skilled fighter and that's why I chose these abilities. Again, please Enjoy and Review!***

Chapter 2

"Um…" Dallas said.

"What now?" I asked, _I'm so sick of these stupid animals, they call us mutants the animals, yet the way they act when they are around their 'buddies' and have a more to drink than just some soda pop. Can they act anymore immature? Sheesh! _My thoughts wondered to what my parents would do in this situation. _They are dead! _the cruel and no-nonsense voice yelled into my mind, the voice that never lets me forget anything about my parents being dead… nothing!

"Gee, what's got you in such a bad mood?" Is that concern I see in his eyes?

"Think about it. The one day I hate the most, over all the rest of the days of the year, what is it?"

"… OH!" he gasped, his eyes registered shock. "That's today? Aw, man! Zarabelle, I totally forgot, I'm so sor-"

"I don't want your pity! Pity is for the weak." I snapped back. _Oh no! Rein it in, keep some control, please! Not now, not tonight. _"I have to go."

The shock was on his face again.

"Why?" he asked, his eyes wary.

"Why? I'll tell you why, one: bad things always happen to the people I care the most about on this day, two: I'm already getting angry, and three: these idiots are driving me to the panicle of madness!" _Keep it together. Must. Keep. It. Together! Just get out of here, and you'll be okay._

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know –"

"Forget it, I'll see you tomorrow," I said, heading to the door. Just as I had my hand on the door knob, I heard the one thing that was surely going to drive me over the top.

"Where are you going, beautiful?" said a husky voice that came from behind me. I didn't have the time for this; nor did I have to turn to know the intoxicated young man was getting cheered on by his intoxicated friends, the slaps on the back and laughing gave it away.

"Away from this zoo, not like it's any of your business though." _Remain calm. _I would have prayed, but I found out all those long twelve years ago, God would never listen to a monster like me, so I didn't even try anymore.

"Aw, come on now sugar. Don't be like that." His breathe held the stench of alcohol. Jim Bean one-hundred proof Whiskey, a tinge of vodka. The poor kid's head will be killing him tomorrow, a helluva headache when the horizon comes.

"Don't. Call. Me. Sugah," My voice cold and hard as stone in the middle of a frozen lake, and the way I said "sugah" reminded me of something, but I didn't have time to think about it right now. My main concern was to get out of there, now!

The boy was drunk enough, or stupid enough, wasn't really sure which, to start walking toward me, left arm out stretched and the right arm lifting the cup toward his mouth; probably to get his courage up to do something.

"Stop, I don't want to have to hurt you." I said loud enough for him and the gathering crowd to hear. "… but I will if it comes to it." I said under my breathe. The drunken fool was still coming toward me.

"Stop!" my voice was calm, but my whole body was tingling. Little alarms were going off in my mind; something was going to happen if this boy didn't stop… something bad. Then it struck me, find D! He'll know how to get me out of here, and these fools away from me. My eyes frantically searched for him, but he was no where I could see, the links in our minds was shut off; and even worse… I was getting cornered by the males. There was nothing I could do.

My mind raced, _what do I do? _I could beg… light bulb! Even thought I hate lowering myself to that level, it was the last trick I had up my sleeve.

"Stop, please. You have to stop. Don't touch me, please. You'll get hurt, please, please! Stop," I begged, hoping this will work. Unfortunately, that trick didn't work; the guy kept coming toward me. Less than a foot before he touched me.

Then I heard it, the male behind me was charging at me, I did a back flip over him, landed on my feet and unsheathed my daggers. Crouching into a defensive stance, my left arm out to my side and my right arm curved in front of me. That stopped the boys, if only for a short while, they looked at me, shock and humor on their faces, they straight out laughed, then kept coming toward me. If I hurried, I could slip past them and get out the door, away from this drunken foolishness that was going to end up getting someone hurt.

I headed for the door as fast as I could, but then a guy about six foot tall and around two-hundred pounds stepped right in front of me to stop me from going out the door.

We connected and I could feel his soul. I knew now that coming here was the worst idea anyone had ever had.

His memories came to me in flashes and some so fast that it was dizzying. My head began to spin, everything became distorted and blurry. _Dammit. If only I could control this I wouldn't get so dang dizzy all the time._ My normal voice thought to myself. _Yeah, and if you hadn't have come in the first place, you wouldn't be in this situation._ The no-nonsense voice said in a nearly commanding voice. Then again, it was right, as per usual.


	4. Chapter 3: Ben

Chapter 3

I finally got home around one, after knocking a few of the guys out of my way, the more persistent ones, out cold, I ran as fast as I could to get away before the short and tight leash I had on my control snapped. Yeah, I'm a great fighter, and I'm sure I could have taken all of them down without any trouble, but what sense is there in harming a human? I mean, I'm the mutant, I have to show everyone that I can be better than the ones on the TV wreaking havoc on everybody.

"Where the **HELL** have you been?!"The voice behind me caused shivers to go down my spine.

Oh great, here we go. I heard his fist flying through the air, but I was frozen, I couldn't move, I could never move when he started the torture.

The first hit struck true, knocking me into the wall a foot off the ground, my breathe rushing from my lungs, trying as hard as it possibly could to escape the coming torture. I closed my eyes, trying to keep the glowing purple hue from slipping past my lids. *The only thing I hate about being me, my eyes glow and change color* I couldn't afford to let him see that I was mad and ready to fight back.

"Well?" the hard and angry male voice, only inches from my face, shouted, demanding a response. A response that was sure to never come and he damn well knew I would never answer him.

After about forty-five minutes of hits and angry, cruel, shouted words, I lay on the ground, breathless and un-moving. By now, the darkness never came anymore. The lovely darkness that helped me to escape the pain, the darkness that helped me escape everything. I just lay there, unmoving, wherever I dropped, hoping he left.

After a good twenty minutes of laying there, my eyes closed, my breathing steady; my phone went off, of all things!

"Hello?" I whispered, hoping he didn't hear me.

"_Where are you? Are you okay? I got worried when I saw the guys laying out in the yard. Did they touch you? Are you hurt?"_ his voice rushed through all this within less than ten seconds; thankfully, my hearing heard every word crystal clear.

"Dallas… calm down. **THEY** didn't hurt me." I replied, putting an extra emphasis on the 'they' in the sentence.

"_What's that mea-Where are you?!_" alarm in his voice, raising the pitch with every word.

"Home." Calmness in my voice, good.

"_Oh, God! Hold on, I'll be there in a minute_."

_-Click-_

"Who were you talking to at this time of night; one of your slutty little boy toys?"

I closed my eyes; oh the things I could say!

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

The banging on the door just cut more of my careful restraints of compliance. Having lived with this for twelve years was enough, I'm done!

The door opened.

Hello, is Zarabelle home, sir?" always had to be the polite brat, even to the worst of people.

"You're the boy toy? HA! You don't look much more than child, boy. Were your parents dwarfs? Or maybe, just maybe-"the stupid fool couldn't stop laughing. But I knew exactly what would shut his mouth. Forever! "-born deformed." His laughing was immediately cut off by my voice coming a few feet from behind him.

"You know, you really shouldn't talk bad about others. I mean, you don't even have room to talk about 'boy toys' and 'deformities'" My voice hard with venom spewing and dripping from every syllable. By now I was standing within arm lengths of him. He turned, slowly, to face me.

"D?" my voice sweet as honey, leaning around Ben, I looked at Dallas to talk to him.

"Yes Z?"

"Would you be so kind as to go get my weapons and put them in the bag that is in there with them, then go to my room, and under my bed is a bag full of clothes and other necessities; get that too, please? Go out the back door and I'll meet you at your car. One quick thing I have to take care of."

I guess because of the glint in my eyes, Dallas knew exactly what it was I was going to 'take care' of.

As soon as D left the room, all hell broke loose.


	5. Chapter 4: Realizations and Prayers?

***Authors note! There may times that you see "*" throughout the story, there will be notes explaining what the saying or word that has the "*" over it means. As always, ENJOY and REVIEW!***

Chapter 4

"I'm going to kill you. For all the years you used me, hit me, all the things you did to me, I'm going to kill you. Slowly, painfully; you will beg for mercy, yet I shall show you none." My voice the emblem of frozen ice, and all of it paid off. The look of sheer terror in his eyes brought me much satisfaction.

"You sure do make a lot of idle threats, child." His voice shook, but for the empty bravado, I had to give him some applause.

"I may be just a child in body, but in mentality levels, you are a new born. The child here is you, **Benny**." His name… not having spoken it the past ten years, ever since the abuse began, his name came out a curse of the worst sort. The acid from it almost made me gag, but added onto the disgust I felt when he was around.

"I am not! I'm smarter than you, smart enough to take care of a child I didn't even want. A child that was shoved into my lap, uncaring about how I would be affected, a child that I had no idea that it even existed."

"You call what you've done to me taking care of me? That's a laugh! You've made me steal my own food, clothing, other personal necessities, and when you found out that I started *The Change*, you tossed me into the streets for weeks; and yet you want me to give you applause for the way you 'took care' of me? You're more conceded than I first took you for!"

My hands were tightened into fists, my knuckles turning white. The blood pumping through my veins was pulsating in my ears; the little control I had was slowly slipping through my begging and pleading hands.

Suddenly, the begging look in his eyes disappeared into an evil gleam and glint that I recognized all too well in him. "I only did that because I knew how that whore of a mother was. Yes, your dear dead mommy was the biggest slut I ever met, and your father, **ha**! That beast you had for a father only cared because he knew you would be the one to kill her, he never loved her. He only stuck around long enough to see you were well off, and then your birthday rolled around, he knew it was only a matter of hours before they all found out; your mother, brother, sister, grandma… and he wanted to be there to see it. But that was where the fool made a mistake. He couldn't leave you. You, the innocent that had the perfect complexion, hair, eyes, everything; everything about was perfect, always has been, always will be. Why do you think that male likes you? It's not for you're so called 'smarts' sweetheart. Your father made sure you would be perfect, made sure that no one could resist your charm, if one person could, then his plan would fail-"

The rest of his sentence was lost when I struck out, unconsciously, my hand grabbed my right dagger out of the sheath and within two seconds, it was buried in his chest, right where his black heart, if he had any heart at all, was. I turned, and walked out the door.

Again, everything I knew and believed in was lost to me.

_Was it true?_ I thought as I walked to Dallas's car, _had everything I ever had known been a lie? Was my father really a monster? Was my mother a victim that I had taken? Was she really a slut? Did my father really know this would happen? Was there anyone out there that could resist my so-called 'charm' and ruin all the plans that monster had for me? _For the first time in twelve years, I prayed.

"Dear God," I whispered, "I know I haven't been the best child that you have, but please, forgive me. For all that I have done, and all that I am going to do. I must find out the truth, whether I have your blessing and help or not, I will find out the truth."

***The Change*: she has began to show her mutant powers.**

**Hope you enjoyed. More to come soon. I need reviews for ideas and such!**


	6. Chapter 5: The New Zarabelle

***Author's note! I need my reader's input, so please review! Anyway… This one is a little longer than most of the others, so please bear with me. I am trying to get more than one chapter per day for my readers that are really into it. Thanks for all the views! There is a visitor that comes and he is a Scot (of Scottish decent), kind of talks funny, there will be vocabulary words at the end of the chapter. Also, there is a mention of Bobby in here, he's kind of a jerk in this mention, so if you don't like it, don't read it.***

Chapter 5

"And here's your room, where you'll be staying for… however long you're gonna be here." Dallas's little brother was saying, my gaze was out the window, and my thoughts scattered. Dallas stood at the door, cleared his throat, and his little brother took off running for his room, or the hills, whichever he felt was safer.

"I scare the poor fellow," My voice valid of emotion, the statement stated as a fact, which was only truth, yet still hurt.

"He's just… not used to you yet. That's all, give him some time Zara-"

"That's not my name anymore," I interrupted.

"Oh? And what shall I call you? Frankenstein?" his sarcastic tone had my hand itching to slap him, yet I knew he was the only friend I had left. All the rest had run away. It had only been me, until Dallas came to my rescue in high school, a male boy, Bobby something-or-other, was trying to tear my shirt off when Dallas had come up to him and punched his face in. Thinking about it now, I think I might have fallen in love with him; he's the only human I can touch, the only one that I don't snatch memories from, and he's my best friend. My only friend.

"Why do you stick around?" I could no longer push it off, I needed to know.

"What?" surprise in his voice, he had taken a step back in surprise.

"Why did you help me in high school that day?"

"I… I don't know. Because it's my nature to help people, not to mention what that guy was doing to you was just plain **WRONG**! Why are you questioning what I did two years ago? Don't worry about it anymore, we have this next year and we are gone from that hell-hole. Isn't that wha- Zarabelle!"

I heard my name, and the next thing I knew… well, I didn't know anything after that.

***Dallas POV***

"Is she going to be alright? What happened?" my voice strangled and worry washing over me in huge crashing waves. _Something has to be wrong with her. She's the strongest person I now, she would never black out like that! What's wrong with her?!_

"Son, I *cannae tell much, but I think what happened was she went a *wee too long without resting and food. She needs to get something in her system, or she will become weaker and weaker, *nay to mention she needs it to deal with ev'rything that is going on, her stress level is too much."

"Stress level? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, she *didna tell *ye? Hmm… very interesting."

"You're not making any sense."

"She just found out that her whole life has been *naught but a lie. Ah, but *tis nay my business to tell ye anything about the wee *lass. She is yours to handle. Good luck, wee *lad."

_-Poof-_

"Well, that was a lot of help! Stress? Lies? Who did this to you? Whoever it was, I'm going to find him and hurt him severely, if not kill him. That I promise to you Z, but first, a new name, you need to go into hiding, before someone comes to attack you… again.

***Zarabelle's POV***

_Again? What is he rambling on and on about? What did I miss? I need to wake up, but… my eyelids… they feel so heavy. Sleep, I need more sleep…_

***Next day***

"How are you feeling this morning, Terra? Terra? Z, that's your new name… hello?

"Huh? Oh, sorry Dallas. Right, I feel fine, thank you for asking… sir… do I really have to say 'Sir'? I feel like I'm in the army."

"Yes, you do. It's something no one will be expecting you to say. But Terra was born and raised in the midst of battle, so you must act it… although you already do most of the time, except for the smart-assery feel of your comments."

"Okay, sir, may we please move on to something else? You're killing me with this speech stuff."

"Fine," his eyes went upward, "your hair, we shall work on that."

"What? What's wrong with my hair? Uh… sir?"

"Wrong length and definitely wrong color, but we are going to change that." He brought out an almost red-blonde color.

"You're going to make me a strawberry blonde? Have you lost your mind, sir? I make a horrible blonde. Do you, maybe have a red, or brown? I've had those colors before."

"Yeah, I know, but that's what the people hunting you would be looking for, and besides, with blonde in your hair, it looks natural."

"That's because it is," I whispered. I hated blonde, it reminded me of the childhood that was now nothing but a lie, but then it had been happy; up until that day…

***Begin Flashback***

"Mommy! Look at the lions! They are so big." My voice squeaking and coming out from between my huge smile.

"Yes sweetie, they are, aren't they. Honey?" Mom turned to look at daddy.

Dad looked at her and as he saw her, she turned slightly pale.

"Sweetie," my dad's voice overly sweet to me, "why don't you show you're mommy what you have been working on with me. I'm sure she would love to see it." He finished saying as he handed me what he had in the backpack he had for snacks and such.

The little dagger glinted in my hand, the pretty little gems talking to me nearly silently.

"John, what are you doing, don't give her something like that!" Mommy said as she tried to grab the dagger from me.

***End Flashback***

Looking in the mirror now, I think I should have turned myself back to blonde a long time ago. It looks good, makes my eyes 'pop' and my skin has an almost glow to it. My eyes, with the contacts that turn my eyes the deepest blue-violet-gray and my hair strawberry-blonde, I looked like a totally different person.

"I barely recognize you now. It'll take me a little time to get used to it, but you look beautiful, as usual."

_See? Just goes to show that even though he was a lying sniveling animal, he at least told the truth in this; your beauty is uncanny and __**NO ONE**__ can resist it. It's unnatural. _The voice in my head, the one that always pointed out the harsh things, growled.

"Do you think this will work?" I whispered.

"Most definitely, I don't see why it shouldn't work."

"I'm not used to this…"

"Not used to what swe-… uh, I mean Terra."

"Not used to having anyone help me. Especially none-mutant people. And what were you going to say?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing." His huge smile belied him.

"Okay," I said walking over to the window once again.

_How long must I live in secrecy? How long must I run, instead of stand and fight? Will I ever learn the truth of my parentage, of what really happened? Why must I have all these questions, yet no answers? None of this makes any sense… then again, should anything? God, what would you have me do? I know you are here, I was always taught that you would answer any prayer of need… I suppose this is mine. Lord, forgive me, please, strengthen me in this time of need… be my refuge from the lies and hurtful questions. Shield my friend from anything of me that will harm him._

***Vocabulary!***

*** "Cannae" is a Scottish word that means the same as cannot.**

*** "Wee" is also another frequently used Scottish word. Means little.**

*** "Nay" another Scottish word means not.**

*** "didna"- did not**

*** "ye" is also Scottish means you.**

*** "naught" means nothing or not.**

*** "lass" is a lady or girl**

*** "lad" is a boy**

*** "tis" is a weird way of saying 'it is'.**


	7. Chapter 6: The New Guy

***Sorry guys, another long one. But hopefully just as good in your opinions. : ) P.S. There is some French in here; the new guy is French, kinda like Remy He's also a shapshifter; I hope you all enjoy the 'shape' he takes. ;) Her super hearing and some speed is due to her mutation that makes her such a great fighter, she was born with it and didn't have to wait for these mutations to show themselves.** As were her eyes** Enjoy and Review please!***

Chapter 6

"Wow! Have you seen the new girl? I mean just look at her!" a girl down the hall had noticed me.

"I know! I heard she was living with that Dallas kid… what do you think Nan; you think there is something going on there? I'll bet my new I-pad 4 that there is."

"Maybe, but what happened to that one girl, she had a weird name too, the one that was constantly dying her hair… You know the one I'm talking about, right?"

"Zarelda…. No, that's not right…. Zarabelle-that was it! I don't know, maybe we got a lucky break and she ran away or something."

Walking through the hallway at school, I kept hearing parts of conversation such as these. Apparently no one liked the old me, yet they love the new me…. And they don't even know it's me. Was I really that bad of a person? Was my attitude that bad?

Looking over at Dallas, and seeing his expression, I began to worry. The look of anger and loss etched on his face, I seriously thought that he was going to jump across the hall and take some heads off... but thankfully he stood by my side and showed me around, playing the part of the good student trying to help the new kid.

Walking out to Dallas's 1996 Corvette ZR1 after school had ended, I was worried; all the classes I had been assigned, seeing as I was supposed to be hiding and playing the new kid role, were extremely easy, and I didn't want to come off as a know-it-all.

"What's that look for, love?" Came a voice from behind me. Swirling around, I saw the one thing I was afraid of… discovery. There stood the one man that was the cause of all this trouble- Lord Eric Wolf. My father. Yeah, the one that was supposed to be dead…

My books hit the ground, my teeth bared, and I nearly lunged for his throat. The only reason I didn't was the little frail woman that was between me and him. Yeah, she's a non-mutant, but still, I go by my rule: "hurt no 'normal' human unless you have been attacked by them first." She looked so familiar, yet I knew she was one that I have never seen before.

"Ah, my dear daughter, is that any way to treat your father? The man that raised you and watched out for you, even though you never knew it; now daughter, I know I taught you better" His smile was too sweet; his voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard, his eyes twinkled too much for him to not to be up to something. This man made me sick! How could God ever let a creature like this still walk the earth?

"Give me **one** good reason why I shouldn't rip your trachea from your throat?" I nearly spat out at his feet. My steel control was sliding to my feet… and fast! My anger was gaining control of me, my insides bubbled with acid, my outsides trembled with built up tension, and my vision was going purple; which probably meant my contacts were completely burned by the venom in my eyes now.

"Ah daughter… why would you treat me so cruelly?"

"Gee, I wonder..."

Time seemed to slow down. About the time I noticed that everything around us was going slower than normal, Eric's face went slightly a shade paler than his usual, his eyes focused on something behind me; I turned-nothing. I turned back to Eric, but he was gone. Time turned back to normal, everything going at a normal pace, but with him gone, so was all my strength. My knees buckled, and my eye sight went almost black and it was like I was looking through a small pin hole. My insides rebelled against the calm and everything that I had eaten since the last night came up with so much force as to knock me on my knees, but luckily someone caught me and lowered me to my knees, holding my hair back. By the time I could see again and I wasn't getting sick anymore, I was alone.

_Where is Dallas? Who was that that was holding me? But more importantly, why did Eric go pale and run away…who saved me? _My thoughts were jumbled, my head was hurting, and there was this god-awful smell. I felt as if I were going to be sick again.

"Terra?!" The sweet timbre of that voice made almost everything better. The alarm in his voice worried me… wasn't he the one that saved me?

"Terra, what happened? I got over here as soon as I heard, are you okay? Sarah Lynn was worried about you, she said there was a strange guy that was holding you, and you were getting sick…? And that there was a tall man that looked almost identical to you… Terra?"

"Hush… please."

"Huh? Ummm… ok. Wait, did you just say hush instead of shut up, and did you say please?"

"Dallas," my voice barely more than a whisper, "who was… holding me, I need to know, who?"

"T… I don't know, please don't cry. Terrra!" I could tell he was concerned, but I wasn't all that worried about explaining to him, at the moment I felt like hell.

"Never mind… I'll figure it out myself." I pushed myself off the ground; the stench that would lead me to my only possible saving grace was still there in the air. Faint, so I would have to hurry to follow it. My legs were hollow as I walked towards the stranger's scent. As the scent began to get stronger, my pace got faster.

After almost a half-hour of running as fast as I could, the world blurring past me, my legs gave out, and right before I should have hit the ground, the arms that were around me before, were around me again.

Strong, hard as metal, and warm… almost too warm, and… was that… fur?!

"Seems like I shall be forever saving you from falling on your face, *ma petite," the most handsome, deep, dark, mysterious voice I had ever heard whispered in my ear.

"May I ask your name?"

"*Oui, you may ask."

"Will you give it to me?" Most of the time I would not have taken such arrogance, but something about this stranger who had only a voice and the feel of a body against me, yet no face nor name, made me feel comfortable and calm.

"Possibly. If you answer me *un question first. What were you doing talking to that good-for-nothing _Lord Eric_?" his voice was full of venom when he said that name. But then again how could anyone blame him? After everything Eric had done, who wouldn't be pissed off?

"I wasn't talking to him, he was talking to me. He's my… my father."

The strong and comforting arms were gone in a flash; there was the sound of flesh ripping and a great growl from behind me. I looked behind me, my body turning slowly. Where there was once a man, stood a hell hound. Looking straight into my eyes, its eyes level with mine, I felt no fear, but his anger rolled off of him in huge tidal waves, sweeping over my body with a current so strong I feared I would fall again.

"His daughter?! So you're the traitor that killed her own *mère. " The wolf with overgrown teeth and claws growled. The mane was made of nearly all fire; its tail was that of silky midnight sky.

"You knew my mother?" my eyes brimming with tears, my voice cracking, my body trembled, but from sorrow and sadness. Another life I had destroyed, all because of that treacherous man. _What horror story awaits me this time, and will I be able to handle it?_

"Yes. I did know the woman that gave birth to you, and *amoured you with all her heart. The *femme that you murdered in cold blood." His eyes were icy cold, the look on his face that of a predator getting ready to spring on its prey.

"What… what was she like?"

"What?"

"What was my mother like?"

"Well… she was nice, kind, caring. She took me in when I had nowhere else to go," his eyes got all misty when he said this, and I wondered '_how could I ever hurt someone this amazing? What happened, what went wrong?_'' "I was only twelve when you murdered her. You, the daughter that could never do any wrong; you, the daughter that was always there to help her when she needed it; you, the daughter that killed her. Are you happy with that choice?" His snarl was back and so was the death glare and 'I'm-gonna-kill-you' demeanor.

"How did I… what caused me to… What happened?"

"You mean… you don't know?"

"No. I just recently found out that I killed her, that my mother and… Eric weren't killed by a very powerful killing mutant, as I was told all my life." The smell of death was almost too much for me to handle.

"If I swear on my honor, as a fellow mutant, not to harm you in any way," not that I really would be able to in the first place, "would you please transform back to your human form? No offense, but the smell of death is almost over whelming."

That got a hearty laugh out of him, and he transformed, his body almost completely consumed by black and silver flames. His body was so strong and healthy looking, his heart beat strong and true. I noticed that I was chewing on my bottom lip and stopped immediately, blushing, I'm sure. His hand reached out, touched my lips and rubbed something off my bottom lip. He came a step closer, his body maybe an inch from mine.

"What has you so… interested?"

"Huh?" I said. A stupid look, I'm sure, plastered on my face.

"You split open your bottom lip, or had you not noticed?"

"What?" I licked my bottom lip, sure enough; there was my blood on the tip of my lip. "I'm sorry, that's so strange, that normally never happens-" I stopped in the middle of my sentence, something had changed in the air… no, it hadn't changed; it had just taken this long for me to notice.

"Do you feel that?" I asked, looking around. I wasn't sure, but it felt as if there were danger around, but… then again I couldn't tell for sure, I felt so weird.

"It's taken you that long to feel it too? How strange."

"What is it?" I looked into his eyes and I got completely lost, I could tell he was talking, I'm not sure how I knew he was talking, but I did. I felt every movement he made. Why? _Why can I feel this complete stranger's heartbeat as if I have his heart in my chest? Why do I feel as if I could simply touch this man and everything would be fine, when I know for a fact that I have no right what-so-ever to touch this wonderful and perfect being?_

_Wonderful? Perfect? What would possess me to think such things about a person that I hardly knew? In fact I know absolutely nothing about him! What makes me feel this way? What… I feel so lost, yet… I feel as if I was just found._

"…that's what that is."

"Huh? Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry. I must have been…ummm… off in my own world, shall we say? Could you please explain that again? I'm terribly sorry."

"Most of the time I would be fâché that I spoke for nothing and wasted my breathe, but for you I think I shall make an acceptation. In short, basically I was saying that you and I have found our 'éternité petit'."

*******ma petite-French for sweetheart**

***oui- French for yes**

***un- French for one**

***mere- French for mother**

***amoured- French, past tense, love**

***femme-French for woman**

***éternité petit- French for eternity partner**

***** **fâché-French for pissed as in pissed off.**


	8. Chapter 7: Betrayal

***So, I want to thank two very special friends for reviewing and keeping me going through all of this. Thank you so much Erin Bloodrein Sage and Sputnik! Enjoy and Review***

Chapter 7

"Éternité petit'? Is that like a soul mate?" I asked, my face filled with puzzlement.

"Yes, in a sense, it is. But most humans use the terminology 'soul mate'; mutants such as me use the terminology 'éternité petit'' seeing as I may for eternity, unless I'm are hunted down or am just not trying hard enough to kill myself..."

"Yes… I suppose that makes sense. So… are you saying that we belong together?"

"Ummm… oui… I guess." He said, scratching the back of his head, the blood capillaries in his cheeks expanding as the blood rushed to his cheeks. And again I found myself biting my lip, cutting the lower one again.

"Ya know, if you keep doing that, your bottom lip is going to be scarred to hell." his grin was almost too cocky for my taste. This time instead of using his thumb, he used his tongue to lick the blood off. From his throat came this almost growl, yet sounded so deliciously tempting. My hand, of its own accord, came up and ran along the strong line of his neck. At my touch his eyes flew open, as I looked into them, it was as if I was looking into a fiery inferno, yet I was frozen under his hot gaze.

His voice was rough with emotion and want as he said "you taste so delicious, it must be a sin."

"Do you really care about sin? After all, you are a hell hound." My grin was devilish and I knew the look in my eyes was nothing but a challenge.

"No, I don't. Why should I care? As long as I have you, nothing matters." Then his face went red again.

"If you do not stop blushing so profusely, I shall just have to do something both embarrassing and foolish."

Slowly and gently he put his lips up against my ear.

"Then I shall quit. You will be in need of your strength, if you are to survive the upcoming battle." He whispered, loud enough for me to hear, yet I was so lost in the scent and sweet timbre of his voice, I didn't hear a thing. When my mouth touched his neck and felt the throbbing of his carotid artery, I nearly went mad with desire. My eye sight went completely purple and a low growl came from my throat.

He kissed me so fast I had no time to think about it. The world began to spin and my senses became over filled with him. It was as if he was sinking into my skin and becoming one with me.

By the time I ripped myself away from him, we were both breathing heavily from all the feelings boiling up inside of both of us.

"How sweet, don't you think Vanissa?" that voice from earlier today in the parking lot called from behind me.

"Aye, master, indeed, how sweet. Almost too sweet."

"Now, let us not get too frustrated Vani, I wouldn't want your fun to be ended too quickly, would we?

"What do you want Eric?" at first I thought that the man standing behind me with the kind eyes and soft voice had said it, then I realized-that was me. The voice that was cold and mean, venom filled my throat and my stomach, only this time I knew what to expect, and I felt stronger, not weaker.

"Tsk tsk, such horrible manners. Didn't your mother teach you any better? Oh, wait that's right, you _killed_ her-"

"Only at your command; I was five and I had been taught to listen to my parents. The only question I have is why didn't she say anything? Why were her eyes closed? You told me she was sleeping," by now his face was pale; his eyes wide with realization, and was that… fright?

"You knew full well she was already dead, wasn't she?" I asked, yet the look of horror was already gone.

"Well?" I asked when he didn't answer me the first time.

"You knew I would get blamed because my fang marks were over yours, covering your tracks. You knew, yet you still let the innocent get blamed. That's _so_ like you Eric. I wonder… what will the Queen think about this? Oh, dear, yes… she would be very upset, possibly even strip you of your titled, if not kill you."

"You knew?" his voice was strangled, yet he was trying to keep it together.

"No, but I pieced it all together. I have to admit, you did make it quite hard, but that just added to my determination. So, really, I should thank you. I said should, I didn't say that I would, so you can wipe that smirk off your face and get over yourself."

"Love?" the male standing behind me said.

"Yes?"

"Will you please give me the satisfaction of taking him to the Queen?"

"You're not of the same blood, the Queen wouldn't allow you in, her brother might, but not her."

All the while the conversation is going on; I never took my eyes off those two. I knew if I did, just for one second, they would be gone.

"Of course, My Lady. Why didn't I think of that?"

I couldn't resist, I turned, and when I did, the sight I came to startled me, not that I startle easily. There stood the man from whom I had just drank of, and in his arms in a very vise like grip was my best friend in the world.

_What does this mean? I don't understand. Is he protecting him? What is Dallas doing here in the first place? Why is he holding Dallas? Did Dallas do something wrong?_

All these thoughts rushed through my mind and nothing made any sense.

"What do you think you're doing?" my voice was cold, but full of emotion. _Rough around the edges, _I thought.

"Doing what I was instructed." His answer came about the same way as my question did; full of emotion, but cold.

"Instructed? Instructed by whom? Why would you betray me? I don't even know your name, yet I let you drink of me, and you let me drink of you. Why?" something wet was going down my cheeks.

"Val- Zarabelle, please, don't cry. I'll be fine, I promise."

"Cry?! I'm a pure blood, we don't cry."

"Then what's that moisture going down your face?"

"Shut up! It's nothing…" I snapped back, then I went pale with self disgust… what was wrong with me, I was snapping at the only person that had ever helped me with anything and everything, making out with strangers and wishing for more, and just standing here like an idiot when the people that I care for get hurt.

I turned to him, the only man that I could despise with this much venom, and for good reason.

"Eric, if you hurt him you will have one heck of a battle on your hands-_till the death. _Let. Him. Go. _**Now.**_" No emotion in my voice what-so-ever, but he still got the message. _Lord _Eric went pale as death and took a step back. My hands ached to touch the daggers on my sides and the swords on my back; since I went into hiding, I was always prepared when I went anywhere. Of their own accord, my hands went for my daggers. It felt so right to hold them, to caress the hilts that were a beauty of their own.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you-"

Without even thinking about it, I twirled, one knee bent and the other on the ground, and threw the dagger which struck true. The red splash of blood on his shirt and the acidic and metallic blood of the Hell Hound told me he had less than a few minutes to make his peace with the world before he left it.

Dallas landed on his feet, being held off the ground for so long, his knees nearly gave out from the pressure being suddenly put on them. Turning back to Eric, I found them gone, once more. I rushed over to Dallas to make sure he could stand and walk.

"Are you alright?" I managed to get out between sobs. Before I got the last word out, a hand comes flying across my face. The ringing in my ears and the throbbing in my head told me there was a nice red mark on my face, and that it would probably bruise in some places.

"What the _hell_ was that for?!" I yelled.

"You stupid fool!" he yelled over me. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

"What?"

"You killed the one _thing _that could have told you where Eric is. Not to mention you let them go to save me instead. I'm expendable, I'm going to die one way or another, someday and you can't control everything. So stop trying. The world still turns even though people like me die." Tears gathered in my eyes at his words, yet I knew he was right. I couldn't stop everything. But there was one thing I could stop… Eric destroying even more lives.

Right then and there I made myself this vow, _**No matter what it took, I would stop Eric.**_ My creator, my father, my destroyer-whatever it took, he was as good as dead.

"Your right, ya know?"

"What?" I could understand his surprise, no matter what; I never admitted I was wrong, until now.

"I can't stop _everything, _but there is something I can stop. I am going to stop Eric" And with that, I walked away. Away from everything that I had known, everyone that had cared, all those hateful and hurtful things, I just simply walked away.

***Queen- the person of authority above "Noble" blooded mutants. Which means that Eric and Tarra (Zarabelle) are "Noble Mutants".**


	9. Chapter 8: Inside Hell Itself

_***Authors Note! Things are getting a little difficult because I now have no 'template' shall we call it, to go into and altar for the story, so I have to come up with everything and make sure it fits the storyline. So updates will be few and far between. Sorry ya'll. But I hope everyone enjoys! Don't forget to review!***_

Chapter 8

_Well_, _this is definitely a fine kettle of fish. Oh gosh, I'm starting to sound like- No, don't think about it. It just hurts, even worse than these restraints._

I had found Eric, after about a month of searching and having no contact with anyone, even though people avoided me like the plague, there were still the few that took me for a Wonderer, someone who had nowhere to go, so they just walked from place to place, a very low thing for anyone to be called, especially someone of my statue.

"Well, well, well, lookey what we have here." One of the guards mocked, as per usual for the guards. There wasn't much to this one though, a man about average height for a male of about nineteen, such a young age; sandy blonde hair that hadn't been washed in a few days, down to his shoulders; piercing green eyes that seemed to have a glow. The clothes he wore looked like something from the seventeenth century or so. The gold thread and emblems on the tunic were bright in contrast to the purple that was slightly worn and faded. Yet all in all, if the poor lad took a shower more often, he would be quite a nice looking young man, _although his attitude could definitely use an adjustment-_

"Hey! Zarabelle… you alive?" my thoughts were rudely interrupted, but I didn't move. Not that I really could, seeing as I was dangling in the air by my wrists and ankles.

"Do you think we should go in there and check Nikholas?" the guard said, his head turned to the side, obviously looking at the person he was talking to.

"You want to get killed, whether by her or the master, Balavan?" a voice, a deep tenor, answered. The voice in itself sent shivers going down my body.

"She's shackled and dangling! I sincerely doubt she could hurt a fly." His sarcastic tone pissed me off to no end, so just for spite, I hissed as menacingly as I could and all the rats in my cell and the cells surrounding it came almost flying out of the little barred windows of the cell. By the time the rats had scattered and everything was calm again, the guard named Balavan was scratched and bit more than a thousand times, his blood was tainted and sickly. As one of the other guards took Balavan to the infirmary, someone unlocked my cell door. Nikholas stood there, eyes of deep blue, yet like stone, long black hair, and a scar along his jaw. The same uniform as the other guards, but his was adorned with little gold and silver pins on the breast of it. His boots were blacker and shinier than the others' boots, his hair cleaner, and he smelled cleaner.

"Very clever, My Lady. I didn't think you had it in you."

"He's deathly ill." Was my only reply, I had nothing to say to this 'shining knight' yet the person who kept me jailed.

"Is that so? Interesting. You smelled it too? I thought I was the only one. Ah, well, we cant all be the master's daughter, now can we?

"Master? You mean that creature of destruction and murder is you're Master?"

"Not like I really have much of a choice. You see, my family owes a small debt, and I am here to repay it to the Master. Lord Eric can be, well... shall we say persuasive?"

"Yes, he's very good at twisting and manipulating people. Even people as strong minded as a shape shifter. _Lord_ Nikholas. What is it that your family possibly owes that creature?"

The look on his face said that he was most surprised, but I knew Nikholas would never say so. Nikholas was a good friend of mine. His family had helped me after Mother's death, and Nikholas helped me get back into the sport I loved so much... Fighting."My family owes him a life. He saved my father when Father was a child, so they dedicated me, the eldest, to protect him and do whatever Master needs of me."

_Now, isn't that just like Eric? Taking advantage where ever a__nd when ever he can._

"You look deep in thought. Is there something bothering you?"

"Yes, in fact there is. Maybe you can answer a question for me...? Why you? Why not one of the younger children? There are plenty enough of all of them that Eric would have more than his pick."

"Why me you ask? Because I am the fighter. Not a cook, or knitter, or house cleaner. I can kill someone with one thought. I can lift things from the ground to the clouds in a matter of seconds. I can bury you on the spot, break those chains, and take you thirty feet in the ground in a matter of mere seconds. That is why he chose me." By the time he got the last part of his sentence out, he was standing right next to me. His lips brushing against my ear caused shivers to run down my spine.

_ How many times will you let someone with a deep voice and good looks get the best of you? Seriously!_ That mean and always correct voice growled into my head.

_And how many times will you growl at me!?_ My voice nearly yelled at the other voice.

_Gre__at, now I'm talking to myself… perfectly normal right?_

_ No, it isn't! Quit getting distracted! Now listen, if you want to get out of this, __**alive**__, then get it together and play along._

_ Wouldn't that make me as bad as any of the rest of them?_

_ Not necessarily… but I suppose if that's how you want to look at it… then you can hang here for the rest of the time that Eric allows you... Your choice._

I pulled back a little to look at his face. He definitely wasn't bad looking… _Dallas is better looking._ Where the hell did that come from?! _It doesn't matter what came from where, get on with the plan or you'll be hanging here until the wounded guard is replaced and Eric comes down to see you… MOVE!_

That last word motivated me. So when he kissed me, even though he tasted like the ale he had been drinking (which nearly gagged me) I kissed him back with all the false bravado I could muster. His hands were slowly inching up along my spine. _It's a good thing he's tall, otherwise I would have to bend to kiss him. U__GH! I hate myself for this._

The kiss ended, but his touches didn't. I finally got to the point where I knew he was lost to the point of no return. So I said to him, "If you let me down, just for a moment, I'll be more than glad to help you with that." I motioned to the bulge in his pants as I said it. When I saw his passion filled eyes begin to register what I said and then slowly begin to become clear, I kissed him, almost forcefully, and then whispered in his ear "You have never felt pleasure at the amounts that I could give you. Let me down and I'll show you what the daughter of a nobleman can do for you." As soon as I finished my sentence I licked his neck, nipping it with my teeth.

That was his undoing. He grabbed the keys and started to unlock the chains, not caring that if he undid the wrists first it would be better for me. As soon as my wrists were free of the shackles that were holding me up off the ground, he received a small amount of the fury that was coursing through me and now was allowed to be free. I grabbed the keys when they were in midair from his sudden fall to the ground. I unshackled my legs and really went at him.

_Now I can __**really**__ can show him how I truly feel. Poor sorry bastard._

He recovered from the fall that he had had to endure. I straightened just in time to see him coming straight for me, the bulge in his pants gone and replaced by the most fury-red-eyed look I have ever seen.

_This should be fun._ I couldn't help it… I laughed. The first hit was made when he was within inches of hitting and tackling me to the ground. My hand flew out without a thought or care in the world to form a check hook. The sound of my knuckles cracking and hitting his boney hawk-like nose sent a thrill through my body. I grabbed him by his hair to 'help' him off the ground and hit him repeatedly. When he got off the ground, recovered from the daze I put him in from jabbing him in the ribs with my elbows, a few bolo punches, a haymaker, and many different parried moves from him; I was gone.


	10. Chapter 9: New Mutants

Chapter 9

I wandered for a little while. I couldn't believe I got out of there… especially after everything that happened after I left the cell.

***Begin Flashback***

I ran down the hall, took a right, ran up the stairs, taking them three at a time, and heard the clanking of metal and men's laughter.

"How fun do you think it would be, Ian?"

"Oh, I'm sure she would be more fun than the rest of the brats the Master has let us have fun with… Boy, I'll tell ya, if I get the chance and get my hands on her, she won't be able to walk for a week, if she's that lucky." That comment brought laughter from the other guard.

_Get out! Now! You heard what they said; it's not going to matter if you're an innocent or not, get out!_

With that thought still ringing in my head, I began to run as hard and as fast as I possibly could, I took another right, nearly slamming into the wall. My emotions were running rampant and I could feel myself getting scared, for the first time in my life, I was truly scared.

I rounded another turn, and stopped, dead in my tracks. A guard was looking in my general direction, but there was obvious confusion. Almost as if he could hear me, but he couldn't see me. So, just out of curiosity, I lifted my hand, and sure enough, it wasn't there. _I'm invisible! Holy crap is that cool or what?! That means getting out of here may be a little easier than I first thought… maybe I could do some snooping and see what good ol' Eric's got going on… No!_ Grumpy voice said._ You'll get your ass out of here, now. You don't know how to control __**any**__ of your powers, what makes you think you can control this one? _

_Good point._

So, with that decided, I walked past the guard silently and after I rounded the corner, I took off running again. When I finally came to the front gates of Eric's fortress (And trust me, that's what it was… a huge castle-looking house with a huge stone and iron fence around it) I couldn't think of any silent way to get out of the walls. So, I just settled with opening the rusting, squeaking gate, closing it, and listening to the sound of disbelief in the guards' voices as I, "a ghost", walked away.

***End Flashback***

_So, I have the ability to become invisible, I can smell almost anything within a two mile radius, hear anything within three-hundred yards, and can see the faces of people on an airplane thirty-thousand feet above me…. GREAT! Not that I'm not strange enough with my colored hair and my purple eyes._

_ Oh, quit feeling sorry for yourself, it's ridiculous and is totally uncalled for. Would you really want Dallas to see you like this?_

"Who's Dallas?" A new voice questioned to me, although I knew for a fact that I had not said that out loud.

And then, a young man, around a year or so older than I came walking around a tree. He had a medium brown color to his hair, his eyes were the greenest I have ever seen, he was tall for his age, and he had a built body and was wearing some camo shorts… in the middle of January.

_Is he nuts?_

"No."

_Ah, a mind reader, huh?_

"Yes."

_Then, mind read this… GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD!_

"That's no way to treat a fellow mutant."

"I don't care how you want me to treat you. My mind is MY mind. Not yours and trust me, it isn't a very nice place and you're lucky I don't kill you on the spot."

"I know what your mind is. Maybe even better than you yourself knows. And I'm surprised that you aren't collapsing on the ground from the exhaustion you feel so heavily. Or had you not noticed?"

"Again, none of your business." Then again… Don't think about it.

"So, stranger, what's your name?"

"I do believe I asked you a question first. Who's Dallas?"

"A friend. Name?" my patience was wearing very thin by now.

"Nikolai."

"Ah, a Russian, huh?"

"Possibly, what's it to you?"

"Not a thing. Just wondering what you're doing here and why you're so close to _his_ fortress?"

"Who's?"

"_Lord Eric_" my voice was full of venom and even my vision started to tint differently because of the emotions that are coursing through me. The air suddenly smelled differently, almost like another shape shifter, but I knew at the same time it wasn't.

"Ah, you must be smelling for Wolverine," he said when I sniffed the air, then scrunched my nose.

"A what?!" my voice nearly squeaked, _what the hell is a wolverine?!_

"Not what, a who. Wolverine is a mutant too. He was just coming to check up on you, we saw that you got captured and wanted to come to your rescue, but I guess that's outta the question seeing as you did that yourself…"

"I don't need saving. And who is this "we" you speak of? I only see you and smell him. Are there more of you?"

My emotions were so jumbled.

Then, out of nowhere, a woman and man came walking out from between some trees that were standing in a clump.

The man was in a yellow, blue and black outfit. His gloves were blue, his shoulder pads and boots were blue and black, he had a red belt around his waist, black, kinda looking strips on his costume that didn't quit reach all the way around, there was a strip as such on each shoulder also. His mask had some kind of flares on the side of his head that were black and wrapped around the back.

The woman was wearing was wearing a lemon yellow and bright, lime green costume where the yellow went down the middle of her outfit; her gloves and knee high boots were yellow too. The only green in her whole costume was on the outside of the costume. Don't get me wrong, it looked kick ass, but kinda funny with her long brown hair, which had a white streak in it… interesting. She looked so… familiar… but I knew I had never seen her before

_Yes, you have…_ my mind thought to me. _Where?_ I don't know who either of these people are, and they both looked like they would kill me if I even moved the wrong way. Especially the guy, whom of which, I concluded was this "Wolverine" Nikolai spoke of.

As I was staring at the girl, examining her, she was doing the same thing to me. Then I noticed she paled.

"Rogue?" the male said in a worried voice and I watched her more closely.

"Logan… it's her."The girl spoke, barely above a whisper, so thanks to my hearing I could hear her.

"Her?"

"The girl… the one that… Zarabelle?" She sounded so hesitant, as if saying it would make me disappear.

"And just who are you?" _ Why are you being snappy with her? She's trying to help us…_

_Yeah, and how many other people were trying to help us? How well did that go over? Sorry for being snappy, but I would much rather be cautious than be dead._

"I-I'm… I'm Anna Marie Wolf."


	11. Ch 10: The Beginning of New Beginnings

_**~* Sorry I haven't been able to update lately. Moved, enrolled in a new school, and am trying to get settled into my new life. Things have been kinda crazy. I'm going to try to start going to the library more often so I can type the story. Sorry y'all.*~**_

Chapter 10

"Wolf? How'd…. how is that possible? I have no siblings." Now it was my turn to be hesitant.

"None that you know of… I just recently found out about you. Professor X told me about you about a week ago, when you first got captured by that… that _monster!_"

"Rogue… sweetie, calm down." The gruff man said, with so much love, and something almost like concern in his voice that it made me wonder what these two had. Was it something like what I hoped that Dallas and I would have?I could only hope.

_Where did that come from?!_

"If you could come back to the mansion with us, I could have the professor explain it better. I, myself, am still a little fuzzy on it all." Rogue said with a friendly smile.

I think that the lack of sleep I was suffering from or maybe the malnutrition from Eric's was the reason that I said "yes", but as I got in the helicopter with them, and nearly passed out from the softness and comfortableness of the chair, it just did not matter anymore.

I felt safe. And that was something that was new, but I somehow missed it. The only thing I missed more was Dallas.

_**~* Sorry it's so short, I haven't had the time to think on anything else for the story… with as little of feedback that I am getting from my readers, I have been entertaining the thought on just dropping the story and trying a different one. I haven't decided anything yet, but I could really use some more help with what y'all think about my story. Thanks!*~**_


	12. Chapter 11: The Mansion

***Peeks head from hidey-hole* okay, so some of you might be a little mad at me because I haven't been able to update as much as I used to, and trust me, I'm feeling it. I'm sorry I haven't had the time I need and have been neglecting y'all. Again, I'm sorry. So, in order to show y'all how sorry I am, this chapter is gonna be a long one. ;)* ENJOY! And don't forget: R&R!**

I must have fallen asleep. I don't remember much of the trip. Which, for me, is weird; I hate heights.

_Maybe I really am sick, or tired… it doesn't matter what I am, I just know that something is wrong. Oh, how I wish Dallas was here with me, I feel so lonely and almost afraid without him here. Dallas… where are you now? What are you doing? Who are you with? Did you replace me?_

About that time we landed. My thoughts were interrupted by the helicopter wings slowing down with their _whir-whir-whir_ noises.

My feet were a little unsteady as I walked out onto the platform. The sun was blinding white as the roof started to close. I heard running water somewhere down the runway, which I thought was odd, but hey, if these are people like me, which they were, then they had to have secrecy, right?

My knees felt so weak that every other step was more like a stumble, but I somehow managed. Things got dark again and I thought that maybe I was going to pass out, worry over took me.

It must have showed through onto my face cause the next thing I know, Rogue is on my side and said "Don't worry; it's just the lights in the hanger. It still catches me off guard every once in a while." Relief flooded through me as she walked ahead of me to catch up with the gruff man, whom, by the way, I had figured out was Wolverine. (his code name, or something like that.)

We entered a big hall with vaulted ceilings and a huge chandelier on the ceiling, a wide staircase and platforms to either side of the top of the staircase. It looked like something out of the South in the 1800's. It was AMAZING!

I'm sure that if I had been feeling better I would have smiled real huge and said some smart-ass remark, but with the state I was in now, I didn't say anything.

"Where is everyone?" Rogue, my sister (I still had some quarrels about that) asked, to no one in particular.

_Sniff sniff_ Wolverine was sniffing the air… like… well, a wolf. (LOL)

"Get down." His voice was full of urgency, yet a hushed whisper. We did as he said, and waited.

Out of nowhere this blue fuzzy looking thingy was popping all around the room. Then this toad-humanoid was hopping all around, throwing out its tongue and getting slime everywhere. Then there was this really huge person that shook the whole foundation, he started picking things up and throwing them at us.

We scattered as a huge chunk of concrete was thrown directly where we had been huddled together.

"This is sooo not my day!" I growled as I grabbed my daggers from their places at my side and charged at the toad.

"Rogue! Stop her!" I heard Wolv shout at Rogue, but I wasn't letting anyone stop me. I was slimmed and had a few cuts from the shards of flying concrete. I was already weak from Eric's torture and stuff, and now was pissed off beyond belief. My instincts took over and I was a force of nature to be reckoned with.

As the toad went to slime me with his tongue, I grabbed a hold of it, wrapping it around my arm several times making sure that I had a tight grip on it when he retracted it, taking me straight to him. I struck out with my dagger, giving him a nice cut along his right eye, and then did a left uppercut with my fist. I heard thundering from behind me and knew that the big blob looking one was coming to the toad's rescue. I hit the toad one last time, just for good measure, and let him go as he started to slump to the ground.

My daggers started to feel heavy, something was wrong…

I pushed the feeling away and didn't give it a second thought.

The big guy reached for me to pull me down, his intent was clear, but my mind and body were two different things at the moment. He grabbed me and his fat stubby hands began to crush my throat, my wind pipe getting closed and the bruising beginning on my throat. Things started to slow down and I began to feel more in control, I brought my arm up and brought it down on his forearm, I could hear the bone cracking, but instead of being in real time motion, it was slow and loud… It felt good to be in control again.

Then things sped up….

And started going black.

The big guy let go of me and when he did, instead of catching myself like I knew I was going to, my knees buckled and my arms went limp. My head went fuzzy and my tongue felt heavy, like I had too much to drink. My vision blurred and by the time I registered that there was another attack coming from… somewhere, I wasn't sure where, it was too late to stop or block the blow. Which landed on the side of my head and sent me flying through a wall and a window pane; I landed on the ground, sprawled out and something metallic in my mouth.

I looked up at the sky and thought _What the hell?!_

Then BLACK.

***Please review, it fuels me to want to do more. Not to mention it makes me think that someone actually likes the story. Thanks so much y'all!***


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